Blood Glucose Meters

In order to help your child maintain day-to-day control of diabetes, your healthcare professional will recommend the use of a blood glucose meter. This will allow your child to test blood glucose levels at home.

In order to help your child maintain day-to-day control of diabetes, your diabetes doctor or nurse will recommend the use of a blood glucose meter. This meter will allow your child to test blood glucose levels at home. You will most likely be given a range of meters to choose from.

There are several different meters available . It is best to make a list of pros and cons to determine what meter best meets your child's needs. It might be good for the two of you to sit down and consider what your child would prefer:

A small, easy-to-carry meter or a larger meter

A meter that provides blood ketone readings as well as blood glucose

A meter that requires less blood to test

A less complicated meter that doesn't require coding when a new packet of test strips are being used

A meter that stores past readings so you can compare and look for trends in glucose levels

A meter that can hook up to your computer so you can review previous tests to look for trends electronically

These are some of many potential meter features you will want to consider. If the two of you find that you have questions, your healthcare team can give you advice and help you choose a meter that best fits your child's needs.

Using your meter

Once you have chosen a meter, a member of your diabetes healthcare team will teach both of you how to use the meter to test blood glucose levels. It is essential for both of you to understand how to test as improper technique may result in incorrect testing, which, in turn, could lead to inaccurate insulin dosing requirements. And long-term inaccurate dosing can lead to serious complications.

FreeStyle Libre

Flash Glucose Monitoring System

Why prick when you can scan?1

*1. Scanning the sensor to obtain glucose values does not require lancets 2.
A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose
levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels, or if
hypoglycemia or impending hypoglycemia is reported but the symptoms do not match the system readings.×

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